Container



March 27, 1945. an. BARR CONTAINER Filed Jan. 20, 1942 INVENTOR BY M m IATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1945 CONTAINER Courtland H. Barr, Glenolden,Pa., assignor to Sharp & Dohme, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a.corporation of Maryland Application January 20, 1942,. Serial No.427,411

7 Claims.

. This invention relates to improvements in containers and stoppers forthe preservation; storage or distribution of various materials, andparticularly desiccated substances including desiccated biologicallyactive substances.

In my application Serial No. 420,311, filed November 24, 1941, there isdescribed a container for such substances provided with a body portion,a flame-sealed neck, and within the neck a firmly seated rubber stopperhaving the shape of two truncated cones joined at the small bases, i.e., an hourglass" shape, firmly seated in a similarly shaped groove inthe neck. In the Reichel Patent 2,176,004, there is described asimilarly flame-sealed container having positioned in the neck aperforable stopper interlocked with the neck to limit its inwardmovement.

When the material within the container is to be used, the glass neck isbroken off just above the stopper or somewhat below the upper surface ofthe stopper. vIf the container contains a material which is to bedissolved in some liquid before it is used, the liquid is introducedinto the container by passing a needle through the perforable stopperand introducing liquid through the needle. In practice, the containersdescribed in the Reichel patent, and to some extent those described inmy said application, have'been subject to the disadvantage that theexposed jagged edge of the broken neck presents a hazard in handling.While the containers of my said application are superior to those of theReichel patent in this respect, they nevertheless do present ahazard.Additionally, with such containers, and particularly those described inthe Reichel patent, the stopper is sometimes removed with the portion ofthe neck broken off.

The present invention provides improved stoppers and final containersincluding such stoppers of the general type described in saidapplication and. patent, the improvement residing in the provision, onthe upper portion of the stopper, of an integral flange perpendicularto'the longitudinal axis of the stopper and the provision, in the neckof the container, of appropriate means to limit the movement of thestopper.

When the improved stopper is firmly seated in the neck of the container,the extending flange is bent upwardly, forming a dish or cup shapedupper portion which is usually firmly seated against the inside of anextension of the neckflange cruise, the inherent renitency of theflanged portion immediately causes the flange to assume its normalflattened position, forming an extending disc which completely coversthe raw edge of the broken glass and avoids any possi-' the stopper withthe broken off portion of the iii neck is substantially reduced, becausethe thin flange is deformed and pulled out of the broken olT portion ofthe neck much more easily than the relatively solid lower portion isdeformed and pulled out of the neck.

The invention will be further described in connection with the appendeddrawing which illustrates a container with a flame-sealed extension ofthe neck and with a stopper of the improved type sealed within the neckand the extension thereof, the shape of the neck being appropriate forthe particular shape of stopper used. The container illustrated is ofthe type used for the preservation of plasma by desiccation from thefrozen state, and may be a container having a capacity of 500 cc.containing 250 to 300 cc. of plasma.

In the drawing:

Fig.1 illustrates a container containing desiccated plasma;

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a suitable stopper having a cylindrical bodyportion;

Fig. 4 illustrates the container of Fig. 1 with the stopper 1 1 place;

Fig. 5 illustrates the container with the glass neck flame-sealed;

Fig, 6 illustrates the container with the glass neck broken off; and

Fig. 7 illustrates a somewhat differently shaped stopper which embodiesthe invention.

In the drawing, there is shown a container l0 having a body portion I!in which is desiccated plasma M. This desiccated plasma may be producedby drying the liquid plasma from a frozen state by processes such as aredescribed in my Patent 2,198,752 or my application Serial No. 239,417,filed November 7, 1938, or in other suitable ways. The container isprovided with a neck having an extension 16.. The neck has an annulardepression or circumferential groove 18 which limits tle inward movementof the stopper. Above this is a. second circumferential depression 20,usually a little shallower than the groove or depression l8, butbroader, as illustrated.

The stopper 22 is provided with a cylindrical body portion 24 andintegral therewith at the top an outwardly extending flange or disc 28.The stopper is also provided with an opening 38 extending upwardly fromthe bottom and partway through the stopper so that a relatively thinportion 30, easy to puncture with a hypodermic needle, is provided atthe top. At the top and directly above the thin section 30 is provided amark, e. g., a protrusion or depression 32 which serves to indicate theplace at which the stopper should be pierced by a needle to make surethat it willpenetrate to the interior of the container through the thinportion at of the stopper.

When this stopper is seated in the neck of the container, as illustratedin Fig. 4, the lower portion firmly abuts the groove is, while the upperpart of the body portion is firmly seated at the 'base of the groove ordepression 20. The flange or disc 26, which is bent or deformed upwardlywhen the stopper is inserted in the neck, is usually seated against theoutwardly flaring portion of the groove or depression 20. The stopper,

compressed when in place, forms a tight seal, particularly at the basesof the grooves for depressions l8 and 20. After the stopper is forcedinto place, the extension above the stopper is flame-sealedasillustrated in Fig. 5.

When the plasma within the container is to be used, the neck is brokenoff just, below the juncture of the flange or disc and the body portionof the stopper, usually by scratching the neck at that point andsnapping it off. When the extension is broken oil, the flange or discflattens out, covering the broken edge of thecontainer neck andaffording protection to the operator handling the container, as shown inFig. 6. The flaring lower portion of the stopper, caused by thecompression of the stopper, prevents the stopper being removed alongwith the broken off extension. A needle may then be pushed through thestopper to introduce liquid to dissolve the plasma, the technique ofrestoring, in the case of plasma, being substantially that described inPatent 2,176,004.

Usually, where desiccated biologically active substances, such asplasma, are sealed in the containers, the containers will be sealedunder vacuum, for example, by the procedure described in my Patent2,198,752 or application Serial No. 90,003, although it is not necessarythat the container be evacuated when sealed. Many biologically activesubstance may be successfully preserved when sealed in an atmosphere drygas, such as dry nitrogen, or dry air. Even where the dual container isto be evacuated, it is not always necessary to insert the stopper whilemaintaining a vacuum within the container, as the stopper may be seatedwhile the container is under atmospheric or other pressure andsubsequently evacuated through a hollow needle forced through thestopper. It the stopper is of good quality material, the seal will besuflicient to maintain the vacuum after the needle is withdrawn.

If the container is not sealed under a vacuum, and if the addition ofliquid is required to dissolve a dry substance, it is usually necessary,when introducing the liquid, to permit some of the gas to escape throughthe needle. This is readily accomplished by introducing a little liquid,permitting some of the air to escape, introducing more liquid, etc.

In the particular improved stopper illustrated in Fig. '7, the bodyportion is in the form of two trusta, attached at the small bases, witha relatively long lower cone and short upper cone, and with the flangeor disc attached at the larger base of the upper cone.

A stopper of this form may be used with a container having the neckconfiguration of that illustrated in the drawing.

It is not necessary that the stopper have either of the particularshapes illustrated, nor is it necessary that the container be providedwith the particular types of depressions or grooves illustrated,although these constructions have important advantages. In its broadestaspects, the invention includes stoppers provided, at the upper portionthereof, with a horizontal flange or disc adapted to assume a dish orcup shaped position when in the neck of the container and to flatten outwhen'the upper portion 01' the neck is broken off, whether the stopperbe an ordinary tapering stopper provided with the flange or discat thelarger end or a stopper having an hourglass shape as described in myapplication Serial No. 420,311, or a cylindrical or other suitableshape. The neck of the container will, of

course, be appropriately shaped to provide the necessary tight seal withthe particular form of stopper used. Nevertheless, the particular typesof stopper illustrated in the drawing have important advantages in usebecause of the effective protection they afford to the operator andbecause removal of such stoppers when the extension is broken oil iseffectively prevented. while at the same time inward movement of suchstoppers may be effectively prevented by a groove or depression providedin the neck of the container.

I claim: V

1. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and an extension beyond the neck, the neck being adapted tobe broken opposite the stopper to enable the extension to be removed toprovide access to the stopper; the improvement which comprises a stopperprovided with a flexible flange normally extending outwardly therefromin a direction not substantially. above a plane perpendicular to theaxis of the stopper at the place of juncture of the flange and stopper,the flange being within the extension and the extension beingconstructed and arranged to maintain the flange deformed upwardly fromits normal position, said flange having an inherent renitency tending toreturn it to its normal position, whereby when the neck is brokenopposite the stopper and the extension removed, the inherent renitencyof the flange will cause it to return to its normal position and tooverlie the broken edge of the neck.

2. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and a sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck beingadapted to be broken opposite the stopper to enable theextension to beremoved to provide access to the stopper; the improvement whichcomprises a stopper provided with a flexible flange normally extendingoutwardly therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular totheaxis of the stoppenthe flange being within the extension and theextension being constructed and arranged to maintain the flange deformedupwardly from its normal position, said flange having an inherentrenitency tending to return it to its normal position, whereby when theneck is broken opposite the stopper and the extension removed, theinherent renitency of the flange will cause it to return to its normalposition and to overlie the broken edge of the neck.

3. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and a sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck beingadapted to be broken opposite the stopper to enable the extension to beremoved to provide access to the stopper; the improvement whichcomprises a stopper provided with a flexible flange normally extendingoutwardly therefrom, at the outer end thereof, in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the axis of the stopper, the flange beingwithin the extension and the extension being constructed and arranged tomaintain the flange deformed upwardly from its normal position, saidflange having an inherent renitency tending to return it to its normalposition, whereby when the neck is broken opposite the stopper and theextension removed, the inherent renitency of the flange will cause it toreturn to its normal position and to overlie the broken edge of theneck.

4. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and a sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck beingadapted to be broken opposite the stopper to enable the extension to beremoved to provide access to the stopper; the improvement whichcomprises a stopper having a portion substantially the shape of afrustum inserted in the neck of the container with its larger baseinward, the stopper having a flexible flange normallyextending-outwardly therefrom in a direction not substantially above aplane perpendicular to the axis of the stopper at the place of junctureof the flange and stopper, the flange being within the extension and theextension being constructed and arranged to maintain the flange deformedupwardly from its normal position, said flange having an inherentrenitency tending to return it to its normal position, whereby when theneck is broken opposite the stopper and the extension removed theinherent renitency of the flange will cause it to return to its normalposition and overlie the broken edge of the neck. I

5. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and a sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck beingadapted to be'broken opposite the stopper to enable the extension to beremoved to provide access to the stopper, the improvement whichcomprises a stopper interlocked with the neck to impede at least inwardmovement thereof, the stopper having a flexible flange normallyextending outwardly therefrom in a direction not substantially above aplane perpendicular to the axis of the stopper at the place of junctureof the flange and stopper, the flange being within the stopper and theextension being constructed and arranged to maintain the flange deformedupwardly from its normal position, said flange having an inherentrenitency tending to return it to its normal position, whereby when theneck is broken opposite the stopper and the extension removed, theinherent renitency of the flange will cause it to return to its normalposition and to overlie the broken edge of the neck.

6. In a package of the type comprising a container having a neck sealedby a stopper and a sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck beingadapted to be broken opposite the stopper to enable the extension to beremoved to provide access to the stopper; the improvement which comprises a stopper having the general form of two frusta joined at theirsmaller bases inserted in the neck of the container, said stopper beingprovided with a. flange normally extending outwardly therefrom, at thefree base of the outer frustum, in a direction not substantially above aplane perpendicular to the axis of the stopper at the place of junctureof the flange and stopper, the flange being withinthe extension and theextension being constructed and arranged to maintain the flange deformedupwardly from its normal position, said flange having an inherentrenitency tending to return it to its normal position, whereby when theneck is broken opposite the stopper and the extension removed, theinherent renitency of the flange will cause it to return to its normalposition and to overlie the broken edge of the neck.

7. In a package of the type comprising a container having thereinbiologically-active substance or the like which is adapted to be placedin usable condition by the addition of water, which container has a necksealed by a perforable stopper through which water may be introduced anda sealed extension beyond the neck, the neck being adapted to be brokenopposite the stopper to enable the extension to be removed to provideaccess to the stopper; the improvement which comprises a stopper havinga flexible flange normally extending outwardly therefrom in a directionnot substantially above a plane perpendicular to the axis of the stopperat the place of juncture of the flange and stopper, the flange beingwithin the extension and the extension being constructed and arranged tomaintain the flange deformed upwardly from its normal position, saidflange having an inherent renitency tending to return it to its normalposition, whereby when the neck is broken opposite the stopper and theextension removed, the inherent renitency of the flange will cause it tooverlie the broken edge of the neck.

COUR'I'LAND H. BARR.

